Social media has become a tool of terror and fear, says CIA chief

US computer system under constant cyber attacks from all over the world

GN Bureau | March 14, 2015


#the us   #cia   #Pakistan   #india   #social media   #isis   #terror   #terrorist  

Nobody knows better about terror than this organization and one should take note when it talks. CIA Director John Brennan has said that changing technology and social media websites have “greatly amplified” the security threats facing the free world.

To illustrate his point he said that the Islamic State group, for example, uses new technologies to “coordinate operations, attract new recruits, disseminate propaganda, and inspire sympathizers across the globe to act in their name.”  Brennan was speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York.

“The overall threat of terrorism is greatly amplified by today’s interconnected world, where an incident in one corner of the globe can instantly spark a reaction thousands of miles away; and where a lone extremist can go online and learn how to carry out an attack without ever leaving home,” he said.

The CIA director said that the Sunni radical terror group has grown to roughly 20,000 fighters from more than 90 countries.

Brennan revealed that the US government computer networks are under assault every day from foreign governments, terrorists and hackers of all stripes. He said America's adversaries are "skilled, agile and determined" and matching them will require focus and imagination — from government and private industry. Last week, Brennan created a new cyber unit at the CIA. Intelligence community considers cyber threats a greater risk to national security than terrorism.

Meanwhile, the State Department said on Friday it was temporarily shutting down Internet service on its unclassified computer network to clean up malware and boost defenses against cyberattacks. The network was breached in November and malware was said to have been inserted by hackers. The department refused to confirm published reports that Russia's government is behind the hackers.

The CIA chief also classified Pakistan along with Iraq, Syria and North Korea as global hotspots and these countries pose strategic and tactical challenges to policy makers.

"Developments in a host of countries across the globe are raising strategic and tactical challenges for policymakers and our Agency,"Brennan said, referring to countries like Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya, Afghanistan, North Korea and Pakistan.

Comments

 

Other News

`One Nation One Election` gets cabinet nod

The union cabinet, chaired by prime minister Narendra Modi, has accepted the recommendations of the High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections under the chairmanship of former president Ram Nath Kovind. Simultaneous elections: recommendations of high-level committee

Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM, Atishi stakes claim

Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal Tuesday resigned as Delhi chief minister, even as the party supported Atishi to take over that position. Kejriwal, facing corruption allegations in an excise policy case, was granted bail by the Supreme Court last week. His colleague, deputy

Lines that unite, lines that separate

Lines and Lives: Stories of Conflict, Resilience and Hope from Jammu and Kashmir Borderlands Edited by Mohita Bhatia, Rekha Chowdhary and Sandeep Singh Orient BlackSwan, 280 pages, Rs 1,510

WEF, MMRDA ink deal to transform MMR into global fin hub

The World Economic Forum (WEF) will provide funds to Maharashtra government for making Mumbai Metroplolitan Region (MMR)  a global  financial hub. An MoU between MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) and WEF was signed by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive Chairman, World 

How to be prepared for the next pandemic

NITI Aayog on Wednesday released an Expert Group report, titled ‘Future Pandemic Preparedness and Emergency Response — A Framework for Action’. The expert group in the report has provided a blueprint for the country to prepare for any future public health emergency or pandemic and have a

The Shinde Saga: From humble beginnings to union home minister

Five Decades in Politics By Sushilkumar Shinde (as told to Rasheed Kidwai) HarperCollins India, 240 pages, Rs 599.00

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter